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How is a single dad supposed to navigate a new girlfriend into and out of his California king bed without his son or daughter noticing? For Trey Ellis, raising children while trying to find his way through the unfamiliar nuances of the contemporary dating scene as a single father has been a a sometimes nerve-racking challenge.

A Don Juan with a heart of gold, Ellis tracks both his sexy life as a swinging single father—his dates have included a model, a French actress, and even an Italian contessa—and his nurturing and loving relationship with his two young children. The result is Bedtime Stories, a charmingly poignant and hilarious story that shows what happens when the glamorous life of an LA singleton collides with the life of a less than glamorous dad who eats frozen dinners and changes dirty diapers.

Review

"A moving, funny, down-to-earth, sexy and delightful account of a uniquely caring, passionate and eloquent father's journey into and through single fatherhood -- a great gift for anyone who values the true dramas of committed parenting." - Naomi Wolf

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

Trey Ellis has a big heart. A really, really big heart, and on most every page of this excellent, thoughtful, tender memoir, he shares how it's been gutted, delighted, and filled with love largely for his two children, Ava and Chet. He throws himself into each of his love affairs as if it will be his last, and never apologizes for his often grandiose visions. It's hard to not see those romantic visions as feminine on some level, perhaps because we're so used to women being the ones thinking of marriage on first sight. Ellis's descriptions of his own leaps into head over heels love and lust are told in a way that both gently mocks him as well as celebrates his sense of romantic adventure. He may know that dashing off to Europe to woo a woman is unrealistic, but that never stops him from doing it.

To Ellis's credit, he never once bashes his ex-wife, even though his sometime exasperation with her mania comes through. It's clear that he still feels connected with her, in a healthy way, as the mother of his children, and their ongoing negotiations about schedules and rules form the backbone of his other relationships. The children come first and it's clear that perhaps even more than Ellis was born to be a writer, he was born to be a parent. The rhythms and responsibilities of fatherhood seem to come like second nature to him, and his keen observation of his kids' needs doesn't need to be overstated (maybe we can be spared any more memoirs that talk endlessly about sippy cups and bottles?).

Ellis doesn't present his tale in an entirely straightforward manner, nor does he always make it easy for readers.Read more ›

In his memoir, Trey Ellis chronicles his glamorous -- and not so glamorous -- life as a newly divorced dad learning to navigate L.A.'s dating scene between bake sales and potty training, screenwriting and co-parenting. Despite being a single parent myself, I wasn't sure at first I'd be able to relate to Trey's experiences -- especially after reading on the book jacket that "his dates have included a model, a French actress, and even an Italian contessa." I think I've only dated royalty of the delusional variety.

But Trey's account of balancing romantic yearnings with his roles as a devoted father to his two young children, and civil ex-husband to his New Age/new name ex-wife, is 100% down-to-earth, funny and heartfelt. He weaves his tales of dating with snippets of parenting and, occasionally, more painful memories of losing his parents at a young age and battling serious illness. The result is a view into what it's like to be single again: trying to forgive the past while juggling excitement, insecurity and hope for a new, uncertain future. I could relate to his experiences a lot -- even living miles (and worlds) away from L.A. And the monarchy.

I've read Ellis's "Home Repairs," which was a very funny but very male look at lovin', but I can see this one having a lot more crossover appeal. In fact, it's so "in touch with its emotions" that women readers might actually be in the majority. It's about how Ellis recovers from the crushing blow of his wife leaving him with two very young kids, and how he gradually gets back into the dating game despite overwhelming parental obligations. It's not like one of those books where the guy has been married so long that he can't relate to the dating scene, which always seems kind of bogus to me. No, the guy from Home Repairs has a nice line in overly thought-out seduction technique. His problem is the intrusion of his kids, for whom he is solely in charge and who are clearly the priority of his life, upon his attempts to a) get laid and b) find lasting romance. All in all, a fresh and funny take on a subject a lot of us might speculate upon if not actually being unfortunate enough to have to go through it ourselves.

I highly recommend this funny and romantic BEDTIME STORIES from the brilliant and witty novelist/screenwriter/teacher, Trey Ellis! It's a beautiful and revealing look into Trey's life as a loving Single Dad ----told from the heart with plenty of soul. You'll laugh --- you'll cry--- and then you'll want to give him and kids a big giant hug! Woohoo for Trey and caring Single Dads everywhere! You owe it to yourself to read this book. And buy some copies for your friends --- they'll thank you for it!

This book surprises you.. you expect the exploits of the newly single dad (and there is plenty of that!), but this is also the heartfelt and vulnerable journey of a son, husband and father. Trey really hits the mark in inviting you into his self discovery, pain at loss and lost love, and sheer marvel and joy in his children. And for anyone familiar with his earlier novels that deal with his coming of age, this is an engaging story of how that youth grew to be the ultimate man, "dad".

Being a single dad, this book was recommended to me by a friend. Oddly enough, she didn't even know that I've been a Trey Ellis fan since his first novel. Fast-paced, often funny, and with remarkable candor and vulnerability, Ellis does not disappoint at all with this wonderful journey through a growing, yet truly under sung experience, the single, Black father with the crazy e-wife. A great read!!!!